Air-conditioned elevator



2 SheetsSheet 1 ,4 .4 C N MM INI/mma MMM W. F. CHRISTMAN N AIR-CONDITIONED ELEVATOR Nov. 28, 1950 Filed Nov. 10. 1947 Nov. 28, 1950 w. F. CHRISTMANN 2,532,253

AIR-CONDITION@ ELEvAToR Filed Nov. l0, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

Patented Nov. 28, V1950 AIR- CONDITIONED ELEVATOR William F. Christmann, Chicago, Ill., assgnor to Kroeschell Engineering Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 10, 1947, Serial No. 784,975

Claims. l

This invention relates generally to improvements in elevator cars, and more particularly to elevator cars equipped with means for conditioning the air within the car so that the air is maintained at a desired temperature.

While considerable progress has been made in the field of air conditioning for buildings, trains, and the like, little if any advancement has been made toward solving the problem of air condi tioning vehicles such as elevator cars. One of the reasons for the failure to solve this problem may reside in the fact that elevator cars areconstantly being shifted vertically within a shaft and the doors thereof are constantly being opened to permit ingress and egress of passengers. That is to say, vehicles such as passenger elevators present structural and functional characteristics differing from installations where air conditioning has heretofore proven successful. Efforts have been made to add to the comfort ofthe passengers and operator in elevators by the installation of fans designed to effect movement of air within the ear. 'Ihe present invention concerns itself with the solution of the problem of properly air conditioning vertically shiftable vehicles such as elevators, and to this end contemplates the association with an elevatoi car of means for modifying and controlling the temperature of the air within the car.

More specifically, the invention contemplates in association with an elevator car, means for controlling the temperature and humidity of the air which includes a complete circulation system providing for the introduction of fresh air and exhausting of stale air.

It is a further object of the present invention to make possible the reconditioning of elevator cars now in use by the installation of apparatus designed to control air temperature and humidity, such installation requiring a minimum amount of reconstruction, time, and expense.

The present invention also lends itself for application to new elevator car design, particularly in instances where side wall construction permits of the use of vertically extending air conducting passageways.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an elevator car construction as set forth above wherein a high degree of operating Pfliciency is obtained in controlling the temperature and humidity of the air within the car, despite relatively fast vertical movement, sudden starting and stopping of the car at frecruent intervals and intermittent opening of the car door.

Other objects and advantages of the invention lI I) elevator car.

willl be apparent upon reading the following description and reference to the drawings wherein details of the instant invention are clearly set forth. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the elevator car in its shaft, said car being equipped with air conditioning apparatus in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the elevator car and air conditioning equipment `in stalled thereon taken along the line 2--2 in Fis. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the elevator car structure taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the air conditioning apparatus carried by 'the upper structure of the car, said view being taken along the lines 4-4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side view of a modified form of the invention showing the elevator car in its shaft with the air conditioning apparatus or system installed thereon;

Fig. 6 is a transverse longitudinal section along the lines 6-6 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of the elevator car taken along the line 1--1 in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view similar to Fig. '7 of a modified form of elevator car.

In Fig. 1 is shown an elevator car 2 mounted in a shaft 4, the shaft 4 being provided with an opening or passage 6. The elevator car 2 may be of any conventional design having a floor 8, side walls Ill, I2 and I4, a door I5, and a ceiling I6. Channel-,shaped members I8 and 20 are mounted on the sides of the car 2 and provide means to engage vertical posts I9 for directing the elevator car in the shaft 4. Steel beams 2l are mounted on top of the car 2 for securing a cable 22 to lift and lower the car 2 in the shaft 4.

In Fig. 1 is also shown air conditioning apparatus, designated generally by the numeral 24, mounted on the roof I6 of an elevator car. The disclosure in Fig. 1 is particularly directed to those applications or situations which require lthe installation of an aircooling or conditioning system on an existing or previously installed 'I'he apparatus 24, best shown in Fig. 4, comprises arhcusing 25, a compressor and hermetically sealed motor 26, a condenser 28, an expansion valve 30, cooling coils 32, an electric `motor 34, air impellers 36 and 38 and an inlet door 3l. The motor 34 is adapted to drive the impellers 36 and 38. The impeller or fan 36 is adapted to drive air across the cooling coils 32 and through a conduit or casing 40, later to be described more in detail, which leads into the 4 with the addition 0f the Sufx a."

attacca gig interior of the elevator car. The impeller or fan 38 directs a stream of air across the condenser 28 for cooling purposes. It should be noted that the use of a partition 42 provides two chambers 44 and 46.so that the heat produced in chamber 4E will not mingle or interfere with the air which passes through the chamber 44. After the air has passed over cooling coils 32 and directed by means of the fan 36 into the passage 4U, it is directed into the interior of car 2 through a housing 48 extending into the car and having a series of louvres 50 to direct the air through the car 2 in a desired pattern. On the side walls Ill and I2 of ,the car 2, near the floor 8, a series of outlets 52 and 54 are provided. Connected to these outlets outside the car walls lil and i2, respectively, are conduits or passages 56 and 58. These conduits 56 and 58 are adapted to lie substantially flush against the side of the car so as not to interfere with the guiding and lifting mechanisms outside the car 2, heretofore described, and have their other extremities attached to and connected with the air conditioning apparatus 26, as best seen in Fig. e. Thus, air driven from compartment 34 across the cooling coils 32 is directed through the conduit 40, the housing 48, into the car and then drawn out through the outlets 52 and 54 and returned through passages 56 and 58 for further conditioning. The door 3l is provided to permit a predetermined amount of air to be drawn into the apparatus 24 from the outside, thereafter being conditioned for circulation through the car 2. Arrows in the drawing indicate circulation patterns followed by the air.

Figs. 5 to "l, inclusive, disclose a modified form of the present invention and like parts are designated with the same numbers which were used in describing the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to This embodiment of the invention is particularly adapted for installation in elevator cars during the initial fabrication thereof. Obviously, this type of installation could be accomplished in existing installations, but with a greater degree of reorganization. In this form of the invention the air conditioning apparatus 24a is again installed on the roof lGa of the elevator car 2a. The housing 48a is mounted in the roof or ceiling lBa of the car 2a with louvres 50a or the like being provided for the express purpose of directing the conditioned air in a desired pattern. However, instead of incorporating air passageways, such as the conduits 56 and 58 in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the car 2a is provided with double side walls lila and 60 and i2a and 62, thereby providing the necessary passages for conducting air withdrawn from the interior of the car 2a back to the air conditioning apparatus 24a. In like manner a second ceiling 66 is installed in similar relation to ceiling l6a to provide a passage across the top of the car 2a, this passage being connected with passages provided by the double side wall arrangement previously described. A conduit 65 interconnecting the ceiling passage with the air conditioning structure 24a is provided, as best seen in Fig. 6. Outlets 52a and 54a are provided in the side walls B0 and 62, respectively, interconnecting the interior of the car 2a with the passages or conduits formed by the double wall portions heretofore described. In operation, the air passes through the conditioning apparatus 24a down through the conduit 4ta, through the louvres 50a into housing 4@ 2a, as shown by the arrows, and is exhausted through outlets 52a and 54a up through the passages formed by the double side walls and double I ceiling and returned to the conditioning apparatus through conduit or passage 88.

In Fig. 8 still another modied form of the invention is shown. An elevator car 2b is disclosed having side walls lllb and I2b and a rear wall I4b with a second rear wall 68 spaced from the rear wall Mb to provide a conduit or passage l0 for purposes of conducting the air of the car entering therein through outlets 52b and 54h back to the conditioning apparatus 24h. The above mentioned arrangement of parts is particularly practical in instances where the width of the car 2b is such that a reduction of that width would materially affect the desired car capacity. In all of the abovementioned modifications a refrigeration unit is used which includes the condenser, compressor, and cooling coils or evaporator.

From the foregoing, it will -be apparent that the present invention contemplates an extremely practical and inexpensive air conditioned elevator design. As previously pointed out, the invention lends itself for installation in elevators now in use, as well as elevators in the process of initial fabrication. The circulation of cooled and dehumidified air, as described herein, reduces to a minimum the possibility of objectionable drafts. In other words, an elevator equipped with the system of the present invention makes for the utmost of comfort and satisfaction to the passengers, as well as the elevator operator. withdrawing the cool air from the bottom of the elevator as disclosed herein is of practical significance from the standpoint of efiicient operation, but it should be understood that the invention is by no means limited to this specific disposition of inlet and outlet openings. Obviously, the component parts of the housed apparatus supported within the ceiling or on the roof of the car have not been described or disclosed in detail because the structural details of such parts are well known to those skilled in the art. Sumcient detailed disclosure, however, has been made to render possible a clear understanding of the present invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

l. In an elevator, the combination comprising an elevator car adapted for reciprocation in a vertical shaft, said car having a floor, side walls, door and ceiling, means carried by the car for controlling air temperature and humidity within the car chamber including a refrigerating unit, cooling conduits, an air impeller, an electric motor for driving the impeller, inlet and outlet passageways for directing air toward and away from said impeller, and conduit means associated with outlet` passageway for causing conditioned air to be delivered to the upper portion of said car and conduit means interconnecting the lower portion of said car and said inlet passageway for returning said air to said inlet passageway.

2. In an elevator, the combination comprising an elevator car adapted for reciprocation in a vertical shaft, saidcar having a floor, side walls, door and ceiling, means carried by the car for controlling air temperature and humidity within the car chamber, said means being mounted on top of the ceiling structure of the car, inlet and outlet passageways for directing air toward and away from said temperature controlling means, and conduit means interconnecting said inlet 48a and down through the interior of the car t6 passageway and the lower portion of said carand conduit means interconnecting the upper portion of said car and said outlet passageway for causing cooled air to be circulated through said car and returned to said inlet passageways.

3. In an elevator car adapted for reciprocation in a vertical shaft, said car having a floor, side walls, door and ceiling, means carried by the car for controlling air temperature and humidity within the car chamber including a refrigerating unit, cooling conduits, an air impeller, an electric motor for driving the impellerl a housing for said parts mounted upon the -upper structure of the car, inlet and outlet passageways for directing air toward and away from said impeller, conduits interconnecting said inlet passageway and the lower portion of said car and conduit means interconnecting the top of said car and said outlet passageway for causing conditioned air to lbe circulated through said car and returned to said inlet passageway, and adjustable inlet means adapted to deliver outside air to said impeller.

4. In an elevator, the combination comprising an elevator car adapted for reciprocation in a vertical shaft, said car having a iloor, side walls. door and. ceiling, means carried by the car for controlling air temperature and humidity within the car chamber including a refrigerating unit, cooling conduits, an air impeller, an electric motor for driving the impeller, inlet and outlet passageways for directing air toward and away from said impeller, means for directing conditioned air into the upper portion of the elevator car interior, and conduit means including a double side Wall construction for returning air to said inlet means.

5. In an elevator, the combination comprising an air impeller; a discharge conduit communicating with the delivery side of said impeller and including a distributor housing mounted in the `car ceiling for directing conditioned air downwardly therein, return inlet conduit means extending along a side wall of the car from a bottom openir.;r therein to said impeller means and including substantially a horizontally disposed conduit section above the car ceiling.

an elevator car adapted for reciprocation in a vertical shaft, said car having a floor, side walls, door and ceiling, means carried by the car for controlling air temperature and humidity within the car chamber including a reirigerating unit, cooling conduits, an air impeller, an electric motor for driving the impeller, inlet and outlet passageways for directing air toward and away 'from said impeller, means for directing conditioned air into the upper portion of the elevator car interior, and conduit means including a double side wall construction for returning air to said inlet means, said double side wall conr struction being positioned at the rear of the elevator car.

6. In an elevator installation including a vertical shaft and vertically disposed car guiding means associated therewith, the provision of an elevator car adapted for reciprocation in the shaft and having complementa] guiding means cooperating with said car guiding means, air

conditioning apparatus carried by the top of the car and including an air impeller, a discharge conduit in communication with said impeller and with the interior of the car at the top thereof for directing conditioned air downwardly within the car, and return conduit means communieating with said impeller and opening into the car interior adjacent the bottom thereof and disposed adjacent but within the external space occupied by the cooperating guiding means for recirculating the air to said air conditioning apparatus.

7. In an elevator installation as claimed in claim 6, wherein the return conduit means includes separate ducts carried exteriorly at opposite .aides nf the, nar and disposed rearwardly 0f 10. In an elevator car as claimed in claim 9, wherein the air conditioning means is mounted within a casing carried by the top of the car. said casing including aA partition dividing the casing into a pair of chambers one of which includes the cooling coils and communicates with the discharge conduit and return conduit means.

11. In an elevator car as claimed in claim 9, wherein the distributor housing includes a louvered closure to direct the desired pattern of conditioned air into the car interior.

12. In an elevator car adapted for reciprocation in a vertical shaft and having side walls. iloor, ceiling and door; the provision of an air conditioning apparatus mounted in a casing at the top of the car and including a condenser, cooling coils and an air impeller, a partition dividing said' casing into a first chamber housing the condenser and a second chamber housing the cooling coils and impeller, a discharge conduit communicating with said second chamber adjacent the cooling coils therein and with the interior of the car for directing conditioned air therein, and return conduit means communieating with the car interior and with said second chamber for recirculating the air therethrough.

13. In an elevator car as claimed .in claim 12,` wherein the partition is provided with adjustable aperture means therethrough to deliver small amounts of external air to the substantially closed system.

14. In an elevator car as claimed in claim 12,

wherein an additional impeller is disposed within said first chamber to direct a current of air over said condenser.

15. In an elevator car as claimed in claim 14, wherein the said impellers are carried on a common shaft driven by a motor mounted on said partition.

WILLIAM F. CHRISTMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,947,082 Haslacher Feb. 13, 1934 2,042,142 Campbell May 26, 1936 2,135,181- Jones Nov. 1, 1938 2,247,028 Kuntz June 24, 1941 2,350,389 Coulton June 6, 1944 

